INGELHEIM, Germany, October 29, 2026 /3BL/ - Boehringer Ingelheim, today, on World Stroke Day, celebrates 10 years of the Angels Initiative and bringing better stroke care to more than 28 million patients worldwide, through education and connecting hospitals, emergency medical services and communities to improve awareness and healthcare.
- Launched in 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Angels Initiative helps hospitals worldwide to become “stroke-ready”, so that patients who have just suffered a stroke can be treated as quickly and effectively as possible.
- Partners include World Stroke Organisation (WSO), European Stroke Organisation (ESO), Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and over 50 national stroke societies.
- The initiative includes FAST Heroes, which was launched in 2019. This award-winning educational initiative aims to raise more awareness of stroke symptoms and the urgent need for quick action with school children, who very often spend time alone at home with their grandparents.
- To date, 117 “Angels Regions” have been created, a holistic approach to connecting awareness and education to equipping healthcare professionals with best practice trainings to supporting hospitals become “stroke-ready” by implementing evidence-based approaches to acute stroke treatment, across entire communities and regions.
“We started the Angels Initiative in 2016 as a healthcare intervention dedicated to improving stroke care. Our aim is to give stroke patients the best chance possible, not only to survive, or lead a disability free life, but to be able to return to the life they once knew. We realized that enabling seamless collaboration is crucial to reducing the critical minutes needed, to mitigate the impact of a stroke.” (Jan Van der Merwe, co-founder and Global Project Lead of the Angels Initiative).
Why this Matters
- Strokes impact millions of lives yearly, with one in four adults over 25 affected. Health consequences can be severe, causing disability and death, and straining families.
- The Angels Initiative is part of Boehringer’s Sustainable Development for Generations framework and underlines the company’s dedication to closing gaps in healthcare systems.
- By innovating stroke care systems, Boehringer highlights the global importance of enhanced stroke care, which can improve millions of lives each year.
Additional Information
- ANGELS Initiative | Boehringer Ingelheim
- Angels & FAST HEROES: Boosting stroke awareness | Boehringer Ingelheim
- Improving stroke care together: Why every minute matters | Boehringer Ingelheim
- Advancing stroke systems of care | Boehringer Ingelheim
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